GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

November 30, 2000

The Honorable Jeff Sessions

United States Senate

Subject: Consequences of the Ruling by the 11th Circuit Court of Appeals on Forest

Management Projects

Dear Senator Sessions:

In February 1999, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit (the appeals

court); which consists of Alabama, Florida, and Georgia; reversed a January 30, 1998,

district court decision on the Forest Service's management of timber-cutting projects in

the Chattahoochee National Forest. The Sierra Club challenged the Forest Service’s

approval of eight timber sale projects in this forest and alleged that the Forest Service

lacked the required inventory or population data on (1) the proposed, endangered,

threatened, or sensitive species of plants and animals and (2) the management indicator

species (selected representative species used to estimate the effects of forest plans on

forest ecosystems) required by the Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest Plan and the Forest

Service’s own regulations. The appeals court held that the Forest Service's approval of

these projects was arbitrary and capricious because the agency lacked the required

inventory or population data.

Originally, we undertook this work at the request of the late Senator Paul D. Coverdell.

You requested that we continue this work. As agreed with your office, this report

addresses (1) the number of the Forest Service’s timber sales and vegetative

management projects (such as trail construction work and prescribed burning)

suspended as a result of the appeals court’s decision and (2) the types of financial,

economic, environmental, and other consequences that the Forest Service and other

stakeholders have attributed to the appeals court’s decision. As agreed, we obtained

data describing the suspended projects and the related consequences when available.

When data were unavailable, we obtained the opinions of Forest Service officials and

other stakeholders, including environmental, community, and recreational groups, about

the potential consequences. When possible, we provide quantitative information on the

consequences attributed to the appeals court’s decision.

Results in Brief

The decision by the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit resulted in the

Forest Service’s suspending or maintaining the suspension of 49 projects within

United States General Accounting Office

Washington, DC 20548
2 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Georgia’s Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests—22 for contracted timber sales and

27 for vegetative management actions. The appeals court’s decision did not result in the

suspension of projects in other national forests in Alabama and Florida. Since the

court’s decision, the Forest Service has advertised new timber sales in Florida, but it has

not advertised any new timber sales in Georgia or Alabama except for timber salvage

sales resulting from the damage caused by southern pine beetles.

According to information obtained from and the views of Forest Service officials and

other stakeholders, the appeals court’s decision has had various financial, economic,

environmental, and other consequences relating to timber sales and vegetative

management projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. In some

instances—such as the suspended timber sale projects—the consequences could often

be quantified in terms of monetary claims against the Forest Service and reduced

receipts to local communities. For example, as of August 2000, three purchasers

involved with 8 of the 22 suspended timber sales had filed claims against the Forest

Service totaling nearly $1.3 million. In other instances—such as the suspended

vegetative management projects—the consequences are more qualitative. According to

Forest Service officials, the suspensions affected the Forest Service’s ability to control

for wildfires, sedimentation, and southern pine beetle infestations; to protect endangered

species; and to ensure habitat diversity. Although the environmental group

representatives could not provide us with any data related to the consequences

associated with the suspended timber sales and vegetative management projects, they

generally believed that suspending these projects would improve soil stability, decrease

runoff, and increase species diversity.

Background

Established in 1905 within the U.S. Department of Agriculture, the Forest Service

manages about 192 million acres of public lands in national forests and grasslands.

Under the Multiple-Use Sustained-Yield Act of 1960, the Forest Service manages national

forests for a variety of uses, including outdoor recreation, grazing, timber, and wildlife

and fish. The Forest Service’s lands are located in 44 states, the Virgin Islands, and

Puerto Rico. Annually, the Forest Service spends about $3 billion to operate and manage

its organization and lands and generates about $576 million in receipts from its various

operations. The National Forest System includes 155 national forests that are managed

by nine regional offices and numerous individual forest offices and district offices. The

Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office, located in Atlanta, Georgia, has

responsibilities in 13 states (including Alabama, Florida, and Georgia) and for the

national forests within those states, including the Chattahoochee-Oconee National

Forests in northern Georgia. The Chattahoochee National Forest covers about

749,550 acres, and the Oconee National Forest covers about 115,483 acres. Figure 1

shows the location of the nine national forests in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia.
3 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Figure 1: National Forests in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia

Source: GAO’s presentation of data provided by the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office.

The National Forest Management Act of 1976 requires the Forest Service to, among other

things, (1) develop a plan to manage the lands and the resources of each national forest

in coordination with the land management planning processes of other federal agencies,

states, and localities and (2) revise each plan at least every 15 years. The Land and

Resource Management Plan (the forest plan) establishes how various land areas within a

forest may be used and, as such, is analogous to a zoning ordinance. An individual

project or activity, such as building a road or harvesting timber, may take place only if it

is consistent with the plan and after site-specific environmental review, which often

includes public notice, comment, and administrative appeal. The Forest Service's

planning regulations establish detailed procedures for developing a forest plan. These
4 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

regulations require the agency to, among other things, provide for a diversity of plant and

animal communities and tree species consistent with the objectives of the forest plan.

Forest plans are developed in accordance with the National Environmental Policy Act

(NEPA), and the process provides opportunities for public involvement.

In 1991, the Forest Service proposed eight timber sales (involving approximately

2,000 acres) within the Chattahoochee National Forest. In addition to the logging, the

timber projects would require a total of 18 miles of road construction. After studying the

projected impact of the sales, the Forest Service determined that there would be no

adverse impact and approved the sales between 1992 and 1995. In April 1996, the Sierra

Club filed suit (Sierra Club v. Martin), contending that these timber-cutting projects

would harm plant and animal species in the forest. The Sierra Club argued that, among

other things, the Forest Service did not obtain, and therefore did not consider,

population inventory and trend data for proposed, endangered, threatened, or sensitive

species of plants and animals (collectively referred to as "PETS species" and

“management indicator species” (selected representative species used to estimate the

effects of the forest plans on forest ecosystems), as required by the National Forest

Management Act, applicable regulations, and the forest plan. Without these data, the

Sierra Club claimed that the study of the affected area was inadequate, making the

decision to proceed with the timber sales arbitrary and capricious.

In April 1996, the Forest Service agreed to suspend the eight timber sale projects for

20 days. As a result of a preliminary injunction in this litigation, work on the sales was

suspended in May 1996. In January 1998, the U.S. District Court for the Northern District

of Georgia ruled that the Forest Service’s population inventory and trend data for PETS

species were adequate and therefore the Forest Service could proceed with the sales. In

February 1999, the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit in Atlanta reversed

the district court’s decision.1The appeals court held that the Forest Service's decision to

approve the timber sales was arbitrary and capricious because the agency lacked the

required inventory or population data on (1) PETS species of plants and animals and (2)

management indicator species. According to the Chattahoochee-Oconee Forest’s

Natural Resources Staff Officer—the individual the Forest Service designated as our

principal contact regarding issues related to the appeals court’s decision—the eight

timber sale projects were initially suspended in April 1996 and, except for a short period,

have remained in suspension since. The appeals court’s decision applied, at a minimum,

to the Oconee National Forest in Georgia and other national forests in Alabama and

Florida. In May 1999, the Forest Service suspended additional timber sale projects and

other vegetative management projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests to

ensure these projects also met the species data requirements and to reduce the risk of

further litigation, according to the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Director of

Planning.

1

Sierra Club v. Martin, 168 F.3d 1 (11th Cir. 1999).
5 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

The Forest Service planned to resume its suspended timber sales and other projects

during the late summer or early fall of 2000. However, in July 2000, environmental

groups sued the Forest Service (Sierra Club v. Estill) alleging, among other things, that

the agency had approved numerous projects both within the Chattahoochee-Oconee

National Forests and in other forests in the Southern Region without obtaining species

population data as required by the National Forest Management Act, applicable

regulations and forest plans, and the appeals court’s decision in Sierra Club v. Martin.

According to the Forest Service, the challenged projects are all within the Southern

Region. At the time of our review, the government had not yet responded to the

complaint.2

Number of Timber Sales and Vegetative Management Projects Suspended

as a Result of the Appeals Court’s Decision

The appeals court’s decision resulted in the Forest Service’s suspending or maintaining

an earlier suspension of 22 contracted timber sales and 27 vegetative management

projects within the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. The court’s decision did

not result in the Forest Service suspending any projects in the national forests in

Alabama and Florida.3 The Forest Service has advertised new timber sales in Florida,

but it has not advertised any new timber sales in Georgia or Alabama since the court’s

decision, except for timber salvage sales resulting from damage caused by southern pine

beetles.

Suspended Contracted Timber Sales in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

The Forest Service’s records indicate a total of 22 suspended contracted timber sales in

the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests that can be attributed either directly or

indirectly to the appeals court’s ruling. The purpose of the 22 timber sales was to meet

the forest plan’s goals and objectives, address forest health issues, meet wildlife and

habitat needs, supply a continuous and predictable output for the timber industry,

maintain diversity of habitat and plants, and manage the ecosystem. The timber sales

would also allow for the construction and maintenance of additional roads, which could

be used by others, such as recreationalists.

The original district court case involved the suspension of eight timber sales in the

Chattahoochee National Forest. While three of these timber sales were never advertised

or contracted, the Forest Service had entered into contracts for the remaining five sales

2

According to the Forest Service, an amended complaint adding new national forests and projects was filed

on October 10, 2000, and a motion for preliminary injunction was filed that same date. The government’s

answer and response are due on December 1, 2000.

3

The Bankhead, Conecuh, Talladega, and Tuskegee National Forests in Alabama encompass about

664,000 acres of public land, and the Apalachicola, Ocala, and Osceloa National Forests in Florida cover

about 1.25 million acres.
6 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

and the timber was being harvested at the time of the litigation. In April 1997, the Forest

Service and the respective purchaser mutually agreed to terminate one of the five timber

sales contracts, leaving four suspended timber sales. In April 1999, environmental

groups demanded that the Forest Service refrain from conducting timber-harvesting

projects that were being conducted in the absence of the PETS and management

indicator species population inventory and trend data required by Sierra Club v. Martin.

In May 1999, the Southern Regional Forester determined that the conditions in all of the

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests timber sales were the same as, or nearly the

same as, the conditions in the timber sales involved in the original district court case. As

a result, 16 additional timber sales from the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

were suspended. The Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer stated that the appeals

court’s ruling also resulted in a decision to continue the suspension of two timber sale

projects that had been subject to other litigation in 1993 and 1998, thus making a total of

22 suspended timber sales.4See enclosure I for a description of these timber sales.

Suspended Vegetative Management Projects in the

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

The Forest Service suspended 27 projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests

that dealt with modifying vegetation and habitat. In April 1999, in addition to insisting

that the Forest Service refrain from timber-harvesting projects, environmental groups

demanded that it refrain from conducting other vegetative management projects that

were being conducted in the absence of data and trend analyses on (1) PETS species of

plants and animals and (2) management indicator species, as required by Sierra Club v.

Martin. In May 1999, the Forest Service responded to the environmental groups’

demands and stated that it was reviewing its processes and documents related to

monitoring compliance for these data. As part of the review, on May 14, 1999, the Forest

Service decided to suspend 27 other projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National

Forests that dealt with the modification of vegetation and habitat. According to the

Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer, the purpose of each of the 27 suspended

vegetative management projects was either not accomplished or has been delayed.

Table 1 summarizes information about these projects, and enclosure I provides

additional information about them.

3

In December 1999, the number of suspended active timber sales decreased from 22 to 20 sales because the

Forest Service and the respective purchaser mutually agreed to terminate 2 of the suspended sales.
7 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Table 1: The Type and Purpose of 27 Suspended Vegetative Management Projects

Project type Purpose Number

Trail/campsite construction Protect soil and water resources, increase access, and

improve recreation opportunities.

5

Prescribed burning Lessen the impact and the potential devastation associated

with wildfires; reduce thick underbrush (which helps

eliminate hiding and ambushing cover for predators); and

promote new growth of grasses, brush, and tree sprouts that

are nutritional and palatable to wildlife.

6

Timber stand improvement Free selected crop trees from competing vegetation that is

surrounding or overtopping vegetation, which also improves

forest health. According to the Forest Service,

precommercial thinning has a preferred window, which, if

missed, increases the total cost to accomplish the work.

7

Shooting range Provide a safe, controlled area for public safety. 3

Wildlife opening These openings—maintained parcels of habitat (usually 1 to

3 acres) within wildlife management areas that are scattered

throughout a forest—are seeded and fertilized to produce a

supplemental food source that is nutritional. Once an

opening is established, mowing a few times a year is usually

all that is required for maintenance. The Forest Service also

uses herbicides on wildlife openings to eliminate unwanted

invasive grasses and weeds.

5

Helispot Support prescribed burning and wildfire suppression efforts

by improving the efficiency of projects and response times to

wildfires.

1

Source: GAO’s presentation of information provided by the Forest Service.

Suspended Projects in Other National Forests

The appeals court’s decision did not result in any suspended projects within the national

forests in Alabama and Florida. The Forest Service has continued to advertise new

timber sales in Florida, but it has not advertised any new timber sales in Alabama or

Georgia. The Forest Service decided, because of the appeals court’s ruling, to limit

existing timber-harvesting projects in the Alabama national forests to either sales

contracts made before the appeals court’s decision or timber salvage sales resulting from

the damage caused by southern pine beetles. According to a Forest Service forest

planner in Florida, the Forest Service did not suspend any timber sale projects in Florida

as a result of the appeals court’s decision because the Florida Forest Plan was revised in

the spring of 1999 with language clarifying the implementation of the regulation on

species population surveys at the project level. In August 1999, an environmental group

appealed the plan’s revision and alleged it failed to comply with the National Forest

Management Act and the requirements of the Sierra Club v. Martin decision in terms of

ensuring the viability of PETS species. As of October 25, 2000, the Forest Service had

not made a final decision on the environmental group’s appeal.
8 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Financial, Economic, Environmental, and Other Consequences Associated With

the Appeals Court’s Decision

The appeals court’s decision has had various consequences related to the suspended

timber sales and vegetative management projects in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National

Forests in Georgia. With respect to the suspended timber sales, the consequences have

primarily been financial and economic and, secondarily, environmental and operational.

With regard to the vegetative management projects, the consequences have been mostly

environmental and, to a lesser extent, financial and economic, and operational.

Consequences of Suspended Timber Sales

The suspended timber sales have primarily had financial and economic consequences

and, to a lesser extent, have affected the environment and the Forest Service’s

operations. For example, their suspension resulted in monetary claims against the

Forest Service and reduced the receipts that go to local communities.

Financial Impacts

Numerous purchasers of small amounts of timber rely on a portion of their wood supply

from the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests. In the northern Georgia counties,

only a limited supply of private timber has been available to these purchasers for

replacement timber purposes, according to the Forest Service Southern Regional

Director of Planning. The 22 suspended timber sales involved 13 timber purchasers

(some purchasers were involved in more than one sale). We attempted to contact each

of the 13 purchasers to discuss the suspended sales and were successful in reaching

either the purchaser or a legal representative in 10 instances. In these discussions, the

timber purchaser or legal representative indicated that financial losses were incurred

because the Forest Service suspended the timber sales. Three of the timber purchasers

filed formal claims, specifying the amounts lost, against the Forest Service. Another

purchaser agreed to settle his claim informally as part of a negotiated settlement with the

Forest Service, and the other six purchasers did not provide supporting evidence that

losses were incurred and have not filed a claim against the Forest Service.

As of August 2000, three purchasers had filed claims (involving eight timber sale

contracts in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests) against the Forest Service that

totaled nearly $1.3 million. Their claims alleged that the Forest Service is in material

breach of their contracts by the wrongful suspension and interruption of them. Each of

the three purchasers used a different method to calculate the damages claimed. One

calculated the damages according to the net income lost due to the suspension. Another

calculated the damages according to the difference between the cost of timber from the

Forest Service and the cost paid for replacement timber. The third calculated the

damages according to the difference in the revenues it received from the replacement

timber and the revenues it would have received from the Forest Service’s timber. For
9 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

the eight timber sale contracts, the amount of each filed claim ranged from about $6,000

to about $388,000.

The purchaser that agreed to settle his claim informally as part of a negotiated

settlement with the Forest Service said that the suspension of his two timber sales

caused him to go out of business. This purchaser accepted a negotiated settlement with

the Forest Service for about $100,000 that included nearly $93,000 for out-of-pocket

expenses incurred plus some other claims and costs. The purchaser stated that he

settled for less than the amount claimed because he was about to lose his house. This

purchaser declared that 85 percent of his business depended on timber from the National

Forest System. When the Forest Service paid these claims, the sales were mutually

terminated. Because of the cancellations, some of the objectives associated with the

projects were not achieved, such as fuel reduction and habitat enhancement

opportunities, according to the Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer. If the Forest

Service elected to readvertise and sell this timber at a later date, there would be potential

costs associated with any additional analysis required by NEPA, as well as sale

preparation work, preparation of new contracts, and advertising the sales.

Economic Impacts

Fiscal year 2000 timber receipts in Georgia were reduced, in part, because of the

suspension of timber sales related to the Sierra Club v. Martin ruling, according to the

Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer and the Forest Service Southern Regional

Finance Manager. Similarly, the lack of new timber sales in Alabama contributed to a

decrease in fiscal year 2000 timber receipts for Alabama counties, according to the

Forest Service Staff Officer for Land Management Planning and Natural Resources in

Alabama. However, according to Forest Service officials, budget constraints and a shift

in the Forest Service’s mission from timber harvesting to forest stewardship also

contributed to the recent downward trend in timber sales and related receipts.

Enclosure II provides information on timber cut and sold in fiscal years 1996 through

2000.

According to 11 of the county representatives we spoke with from the affected counties

in Georgia and Alabama, the economic impact on their counties was minimal because

timber receipts are a relatively small part of their budgets. However, three county

officials stated that the loss of the timber receipts would hurt their local county budgets.

The Twenty-Five Percent Fund Act of 1908 (16 U.S.C. 500) requires the Forest Service to

return 25 percent of the gross receipts from each national forest to the states in which

those lands are located. The states must spend these funds on schools and roads within

the counties in which the national forests are situated. According to the Forest’s Natural

Resources Staff Officer, the states traditionally distribute these funds to counties

according to the amount of national forest acreage in that county. While the majority of

these funds (between 85 percent and 90 percent) are generated from timber sales, funds
10 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

are also generated from receipts from grazing, recreation special uses, recreation user

fees, minerals, and land special uses.

While the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests returned a total of about $261,000

from gross timber-related receipts to Georgia in fiscal year 1999, the Forest Service

estimates that receipts from these forests will total about $18,000 in fiscal year 2000. For

Alabama, the Forest Service returned a total of about $627,000 from timber-related sales

in fiscal year 1999 and estimates that the receipts from them will total about $467,000 in

fiscal year 2000. We could not determine the portion of the projected decrease in timberrelated receipts attributable to the suspended timber sales because several other factors,

such as budget constraints and an increase in forest stewardship projects to promote

forest health, also contributed to the decrease in timber sales and receipts from national

forests in Georgia and Alabama. Enclosure III lists the receipts by county within Georgia

and Alabama.

Environmental Impacts

Data are generally not available to precisely determine the environmental impacts of the

suspended timber sales. Among the stakeholders we contacted, opinions differ. The

Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer stated that suspending the timber sales

adversely affected the environment by reducing the Forest Service’s ability to protect the

soil and water from sedimentation coming from roads. The Chattahoochee-Oconee

National Forests have approximately 1,250 miles of road that need to be maintained. The

majority of road use is for recreational purposes, such as camping, fishing, and hunting.

Stipulations in timber sale contracts require timber purchasers to pay deposits, which

are later used to perform maintenance on the roads they use to access the timber sale.

In contrast, environmental group representatives, such as one group’s legislative director

and an attorney who represented the plaintiffs, told us that suspending timber sales

would have a positive effect on the environment. In general, these representatives said

timber harvesting and related projects (such as road maintenance) disturb the soil,

increase the runoff into waterways, decrease visual quality, fragment the forest, and

decrease the regeneration of native trees and recreational resources. Environmental

groups believe that eliminating timber harvesting and its related activities would avoid

these problems.

Operational Impacts

The appeals court’s decision also resulted in changes to the Forest Service’s related

forest plans and in shifting staff to work in other areas or to address the appeals court’s

findings. The Forest Service developed amendments for the forest plans for Georgia and

Alabama and incorporated changes in the Florida Forest Plan that was under revision at

the time of the decision. According to the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Director of

Planning, the amendments clarify the implementation of the regulation in how species
11 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

inventory data are collected. Another impact the Forest’s Natural Resources Staff

Officer cited was a shift in workload requirements. With traditional work in the resource

areas unavailable as a result of suspending the projects, some Forest Service employees,

such as timber markers, were reassigned to work in such other areas as recreation and

wilderness management. In other instances, employees had to go on numerous and

extended details away from their families to other forests, both in and outside the

Southern Region. However, funding constraints and the suspension contributed to this

shift in workload requirements. In total, the Forest Service reassigned approximately 25

employees to work in other program areas not affected by the appeals court’s ruling.

Forest Service officials, such as the Forest Service Staff Officer for Land Management

Planning and Natural Resources in Alabama, also noted that the agency has incurred

additional costs because professionals from both the Alabama and Georgia national

forests have focused their staff resources on addressing the findings of the appeals court.

For example, the Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer told us wildlife biologists,

silviculturists, and other employees have been unable to devote their time to achieving

the goals and objectives of the forest plan because they have had to focus their time on

addressing the findings of the appeals court.

Identified Consequences of Suspended Vegetative Management Projects

Generally, data are not available to conclusively determine the consequences associated

with suspending vegetative management projects, such as prescribed burning. However,

according to the viewpoints of Forest Service officials and other stakeholders, the

consequences have been mostly environmental and, to a lesser extent, financial and

economic and operational. For example, according to Forest Service officials, some of

the suspended projects affected the Forest Service’s ability to control for wildfires,

sedimentation, and southern pine beetle infestations; to protect certain nesting colonies

of the red-cockaded woodpecker (an endangered species) because of the damage to

trees by southern pine beetle infestations; and to ensure habitat. In contrast, according

to environmental group representatives, suspending the projects could improve soil

stability, decrease runoff, and increase species diversity.

Environmental Impacts

Forest Service officials stated that the suspension of prescribed burning and cut-andremove operations to control southern pine beetles has limited the agency’s ability in the

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests to actively manage infestations of them, offset

suppression costs, and protect the red-cockaded woodpecker. For example, the Forest’s

Natural Resources Staff Officer stated that the agency agreed not to use the preferred

management technique, cut and remove, because of an oral agreement with the plaintiffs

out of a concern that they would challenge the actions and allege the Forest Service

lacked adequate data. According to a Forest Service Threatened and Endangered

Species Specialist, the effects of the southern pine beetle infestations on both the

numbers of trees and the red-cockaded woodpecker would not begin to be known until

next year.
12 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

The Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests and the national forests in Alabama have a

history of southern pine beetle infestations and storm damage. According to Forest

Service officials, both Georgia and Alabama experienced southern pine beetle

infestations at an epidemic level this past year. The Forest Service prefers to use the cutand-remove control method, which it says is about 90 to 95 percent successful in

controlling the southern pine beetle infestations. Instead, it is using the cut-and-leave

control method, which is about 75 percent successful, because of demands from

environmental groups (including the Sierra Club, the Wilderness Society, the Georgia

Forestwatch, the Rabun County Coalition to Save the Forest, the Armuchee Alliance, and

the Friends of Georgia) that are related to the appeals court’s ruling. These

environmental groups favor this method because they view it as less destructive to the

environment.

According to the Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer, the accumulation of dead and

dying vegetation from using the cut-and-leave control method increases the potential risk

of wildfires. He also told us that the potential exists for the problems caused by

infestations of southern pine beetles to spread onto private property because of the

Forest Service’s lack of action to more effectively treat these problems. These

infestations are threatening the habitat of the red-cockaded woodpecker in the Oconee

National Forest. Although the Forest Service suspended southern pine beetle control

cut-and-remove operations forestwide in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests,

the agency advertised for two cut-and-remove timber sales for the section of the Oconee

National Forest damaged by the southern pine beetle infestation that was threatening the

habitat of the red-cockaded woodpecker.

On an annual basis, the Forest Service had previously conducted prescribed burns on

30,000 to 40,000 acres a year in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests to remove

combustible vegetation because fuel reduction lessens the potential for major fires

during periods of drought or high fire danger.5 In addition, prescribed burns reduce the

thick underbrush, which helps eliminate hiding and ambushing cover for the predators

of some species and provides a food source for wildlife. According to Forest Service

officials, suspending these activities has increased the chances for wildfires and

adversely affected the habitats of certain species.

In addition to the environmental impacts associated with suspending the prescribed

burning projects, a related project that was suspended—developing a helicopter landing

and take-off area—has affected the efficiency of fire suppression during the initial attack

of wildfires and the agency’s prescribed fire program. According to the Forest’s Natural

Resources Staff Officer, other suspended projects, such as the relocation of off-highway

vehicle trails and camping sites, also affected the soil and water resources in the

Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests.

5

See Reducing Wildfire Threats: Funds Should Be Targeted to the Highest Risk Areas (GAO/T-RCED-00-

296, Sept. 13, 2000) for a discussion of previous GAO work dealing with wildfire issues.
13 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Although some of the environmental group representatives told us that not enough time

has passed to observe any impact, in general, they said that over time the suspended

vegetative management projects, much like the suspended timber sale projects, would be

environmentally damaging. They felt these projects would disturb the soil, increase the

runoff into waterways, fragment the forest, and adversely impact the regeneration of

native trees and recreational resources.

Financial and Economic Impacts

While the cost of using the cut-and-remove method to control southern pine beetle

infestations is partially offset by the revenues from the sale of salvaged timber, the cutand-leave method does not. For example, the Forest Service spent about $170,000 from

October 1999 through July 2000 to control southern pine beetle infestations in the

Oconee National Forest through the cut-and-leave method. It estimates it could have

earned about $301,000 by selling the timber, if not for the appeals court’s ruling.

Suspending vegetative management projects also reduced the number of service

contracts the Forest Service annually awarded to local contractors for such services as

timber stand improvement, reforestation, and site preparation. According to the Forest’s

Natural Resources Staff Officer, suspending vegetative management projects caused the

cancellation of 10 service contracts for herbicide spraying, planting, and thinning. These

contracts, involving 2,695 acres with a total value of about $121,000, would have been

made with local small businesses and private individuals.

Operational Impacts

According to the Forest’s Natural Resources Staff Officer, suspending the projects has

affected the Forest Service’s ability in the Chattahoochee-Oconee National Forests to meet

its obligations with many of its external partners. These obligations include wildliferelated projects, such as food plot development and maintenance, prescribed burning,

and shooting range construction, that were planned with state and local conservation

groups, such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the National Wild Turkey

Federation, the Georgia Bounty Runner’s Club, and the Southern 4-Wheel Drive

Association. Several trail construction and reconstruction projects planned with

recreational user groups have been put on hold. Because of budget constraints, the

Forest Service has had to increasingly rely on partnerships and cooperative agreements

with other public and private entities that have an interest in conservation and the

management of national forest lands.

Agency Comments

We provided a draft of this report to the U.S. Department of Agriculture’s Forest Service

for its review and comment. The Forest Service commented that much of the
14 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

information in the draft report was correct and offered some technical clarifications,

which were incorporated into the final report as appropriate.

The Forest Service’s comments also discussed a number of other matters, such as the

role of monitoring for various species and changes in its monitoring role. In addition,

the Forest Service reaffirmed its commitment to implement direction in the Southern

Region’s Land and Resource Management Plans regarding the circumstances under

which it is appropriate to conduct inventories for proposed, endangered, threatened, and

sensitive species. The Forest Service also maintained its commitment to implementing

direction in its planning regulation stating that “Population trends of management

indicator species will be monitored and relationships to habitat changes determined.”

We did not revise the report to reflect these comments because they do not specifically

address the objectives we examined or the information we present in this report.

However, we include the Forest Service’s comments in appendix IV.

Scope and Methodology

We focused our efforts on identifying the projects the Forest Service suspended because

of the February 1999 decision by the appeals court, which has jurisdiction in Alabama,

Florida, and Georgia. Our work was limited to the Forest Service’s national forests

within those states.

To meet our objectives, we interviewed officials at the Forest Service’s Southern

Regional Office and the responsible forest offices and obtained data on timber sales and

vegetative management projects from them. We relied on Forest Service staff to identify

the projects that were suspended and sought concurrence with plaintiff representatives

that the projects identified as suspended were the only affected projects.

To determine the type of consequences that could be associated with the appeals court’s

ruling, we met with or contacted Forest Service officials in the Southern Region

(including officials in the Alabama, Florida, and Georgia forest offices); environmental,

timber industry, and community representatives; and the regional general counsel for the

U.S. Department of Agriculture. The environmental groups we contacted included the

Sierra Club, the John Muir Project, the Wilderness Society, the Georgia Forestwatch, the

Southern Appalachian Forest Coalition, and the Chattooga Conservancy. The timber

industry groups we contacted included the Southern Timber Council and the Alabama

Forestry Association. The community representatives included commissioners and

administrators from counties in Georgia and Alabama that have national forests. We

also contacted conservation and recreation organizations in a partnership relationship

with the Forest Service, such as the Georgia Department of Natural Resources, the

Georgia Bounty Runner’s Club, the Southern 4-Wheel Drive Association of Georgia, and

the National Wild Turkey Federation. Whenever actual impacts were identified, we

requested supporting information. For example, we obtained documentation from four

timber purchasers describing the impact of suspending the timber sales. When such data
15 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

were unavailable, we obtained the opinions of Forest Service officials and other

stakeholders about the potential consequences. Whenever possible, we provide

quantitative information on the consequences attributed to the appeals court’s decision.

We did not independently verify the reliability of the data provided nor did we trace the

data to the systems provided by the Forest Service or others. We conducted our work

from April through October 2000 in accordance with generally accepted government

auditing standards.

-----

As arranged with your office, unless you publicly announce its contents earlier, we plan

no further distribution of this report until 15 days after the date of this letter. At that

time, we will provide copies to the appropriate congressional committees, interested

Members of Congress, and other interested parties. The letter will also be available on

GAO’s home page at http://www.gao.gov. If you have any questions about this report,

please contact me at (202) 512-3841. Other key contributors to this report were Gene

Barnes, John Hunt, Rich Johnson, and Gary M. Malavenda.

Sincerely yours,

Barry T. Hill

Director, Natural

Resources and Environment

Enclosures - 4
Enclosure I

16 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Suspended Projects Within the Chattahoochee-Oconee

National Forests and Related Impacts

This enclosure provides information on those projects within the Chattahoochee-Oconee

National Forests that were suspended by the Forest Service as a result of the decision in

Sierra Club v. Martin by the United States Court of Appeals for the 11th Circuit. In total,

there were 49 suspended projects: 22 for timber sales, 5 for trail or campsite

construction, 6 for prescribed burning, 7 for timber stand improvement, 3 for shooting

ranges, 5 for wildlife opening development, and 1 for a helispot. The projects are

presented by ranger district, and the descriptions include their location by county (and

by compartment for timber sale projects6), their purpose, and the impacts attributed to

their suspension. Information describing the timber sales projects was obtained from

the Forest Service and relevant timber purchasers.

Armuchee Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Chattooga County (Compartments 920, 921, and 922): The purpose was to

(1) manage high-quality hardwood and pine saw-timber size trees and (2) provide for

diversity of plant and animal communities while managing wildlife habitats to

maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and providing the public

with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to enjoy

wildlife. The remaining 261,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $22,630. We

were unsuccessful in contacting the purchaser to discuss the impact.

• Whitfield and Walker counties (Compartments 903, 904, and 905): The purpose was

to (1) manage high-quality hardwood and pine saw-timber size trees and (2) provide

for diversity of plant and animal communities while managing wildlife habitats to

maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and providing the public

with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to enjoy

wildlife. The remaining 1,924,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $142,293.

We were unsuccessful in contacting the purchaser to discuss the impact.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Walker County (involving 169 acres): The purpose was chemical release and

planting. Two small business contracts totaling $4,370 were cancelled as a result of

the project’s suspension.

6

A compartment is an administrative division of a ranger district that is created to help organize records.

Its size is about 1,000 acres, and its boundaries should be permanent features that can be recognized on

the ground, such as roads, trails, streams, or ridges.
Enclosure I

17 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Brasstown Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Towns County (Compartments 329, 330, 331, 332, and 333): The purpose was to (1)

sustain a high annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide opportunities to improve

fisheries habitat; (3) provide for diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species to meet multiple-use objectives; (4) manage fish and wildlife habitats to

maintain viable populations of the existing native vertebrate species and to maintain

and improve the habitat of management indicator species; (5) provide the public with

a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to enjoy wildlife;

and (6) manage for the production of high-quality hardwood and pine saw-timber size

trees. The remaining 315,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $21,262. The

timber sale was terminated on December 31, 1999, and the timber purchaser said he

went out of business because of the suspended timber sale. A negotiated settlement

was reached with the Forest Service that cancelled the timber sale contract and

relieved the purchaser from any liability under the contract. The purchaser declared

that 90 percent of his business depended on Forest Service timber and that he settled

for less than the amount claimed because he was about to lose his house.

• Towns County (Compartments 315, 317, and 326): The purpose was to (1) sustain a

high annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources (including

timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide opportunities to improve fisheries

habitat; (3) provide for future forest health; (4) provide for diversity of plant and

animal communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (5) manage fish

and wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species

and to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species;

(6) provide the public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive

opportunities to enjoy wildlife; and (7) manage for the production of high-quality

hardwood and pine saw-timber size trees. The remaining 70,000 board feet from the

sale has a value of $3,343. The sale was terminated on December 31, 1999. See

preceding sale for related information.

Trail Construction

• Union County (involving 50 acres near Beasley Knob and Davenport Mountain

northwest of Blairsville): The purpose was to relocate off-road vehicle trails to

locations that would lessen resource damage, to close and revegetate sections that

were causing resource damage, and to perform needed maintenance on those

sections that the Forest Service plans to retain.
Enclosure I

18 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Prescribed Burning

• Towns County (involving 12 acres, 6 miles east of Hiawassee): The purpose was to

improve wildlife.

• Union, Towns, and Lumpkin counties (involving 3,914 acres): The purpose was to

reduce the risk of wildfires.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Located districtwide in Union and Towns counties (involving 497 acres): The

purpose was crop tree release with hand tools. A small business contract totaling

$29,820 was cancelled as a result of the project’s suspension.

Wildlife Opening Maintenance

• Rabun, Stephens, White, Fannin, Habersham, Towns, Union, and Lumpkin counties

(involving 140 acres): The purpose was to apply herbicides to control pests.

Chattooga Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Habersham County (Compartments 249 and 252): The purpose was to (1) emphasize

a sustained high-annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide for diversity of plant and

animal communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) manage fish

and wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species

and to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species;

(4) provide the public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive

opportunities to enjoy wildlife; (5) manage the production of high-quality hardwood

and pine saw-timber size trees; and (6) recognize and meet the visual quality

objectives for all distance zones. The remaining 969,000 board feet from the sale has

a value of $50,767.

• Habersham County (Compartment 232): The purpose was to (1) emphasize a

sustained high-annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide for diversity of plant and

animal communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) manage fish

and wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of native vertebrate species and

to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species; (4) provide the

public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to

enjoy wildlife; (5) manage for the production of high-quality hardwood and pine sawtimber size trees; (6) recognize and meet the visual quality objectives for all distance
Enclosure I

19 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

zones; and (7) construct a permanent wildlife opening of 1 to 2 acres. The remaining

526,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $71,341. The purchaser for this sale

was the same as for Compartments 32 and 59.

• Habersham County (Compartment 229): The purpose was to (1) provide for a regular

periodic output of renewable resources for wildlife habitats and timber products; (2)

reduce the potential for attack from the southern pine beetle and for the spread of

infestation to adjacent stands or private land; (3) improve saw-timber quality by

improving the growth rate of pine and hardwood trees; (4) maintain or enhance

diversity by managing for Table Mountain pine and encouraging the hardwood

component in pine stands; and (5) provide present and future areas for early-,

middle-, and late-successional species of plants and animals. The remaining

1,047,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $60,808.

Trail Construction

• Stephens County (involving less than a mile of a trail, 3.5 miles west of Toccoa): The

purpose was to relocate the Locust Stake Trail to protect soil and water resources.

Shooting Range Construction

• Stephens County (involving 5 acres in Lake Russell Wildlife Management Area,

6 miles east of Cornelia): The Forest Service planned to accomplish the land clearing

for the construction of this shooting range through a small timber sale. The project

was to include parking facilities. This project was in partnership with the Georgia

Department of Natural Resources.

Prescribed Burning

• Habersham and Stephens counties (involving 2,067 acres): The purpose was to

reduce the risk of wildfires and improve wildlife habitat.

Wildlife Opening Development

• Lumpkin County (involving 4 acres, 12 miles northeast of Dahlonega): The purpose

was to expand a wildlife opening.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Stephens and Habersham counties (involving 628 acres): The purpose was chemical

release and mechanical preparation. Two small business contracts totaling $25,050

were cancelled as a result of the project’s suspension.
Enclosure I

20 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Cohutta Ranger District

Prescribed Burning

• Murray County (involving 2,241 acres northeast of Chattsworth): The purpose was

fuel reduction, wildlife habitat improvement, and ecosystem restoration.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Murray County (involving 400 acres): The purpose was to free a selected crop tree

from competing vegetation that was surrounding or overtopping it. Two small

business contracts totaling $24,000 were cancelled as a result of the project’s

suspension.

Helispot Development

• Murray County (involving 7 acres, six miles southeast of Chattsworth): The purpose

was to support and improve the efficiency and reduce the costs of prescribed fire and

suppression efforts; it also would have provided a 7-acre wildlife opening.

Oconee Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Jasper County (Compartments 101 and 105): The purpose was to (1) develop a

sustained high-level of annual or periodic regular yield of products and services

resulting from multiple-use management; (2) protect and improve the quality of

renewable resources; (3) provide for diversity of plant and animal communities and

tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (4) maintain a healthy forest not at risk

to sudden or widespread change due to insects, disease, or other agents; and (5) have

fish and wildlife habitats that maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate

species and maintains or improves the habitat of management indicator species; and

construct 2 acres of permanent wildlife openings. The remaining 16,000 board feet

from the sale has a value of $1,520. The timber purchaser filed a claim against the

Forest Service. The claim alleges the purchaser was prevented from harvesting and

reselling the timber as planned. In addition, the claim alleges the purchaser’s

subcontract logger was interrupted and suspended and also deprived of the income

which it other wise would have made from harvesting the sale.

• Jasper County (Compartments 107, 114, and 115): The purpose was to (1) develop a

sustained high-level of annual or periodic regular yield of products and services

resulting from multiple-use management; (2) protect and improve the quality of

renewable resources; (3) provide for diversity of plant and animal communities and

tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (4) maintain the forest's health to

prevent sudden or widespread change due to insects, disease, or other agents;
Enclosure I

21 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

(5) manage fish and wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native

vertebrate species and to maintain or improve the habitat of management indicator

species. The remaining 2,105,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $43,985. The

purchaser for this sale was the same as Compartments 101 and 105 (see above for

related comments).

• Putnam County (Compartments 161, 162, and 163): The purpose was to (1) maintain

a healthy forest; (2) provide a diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species; (3) improve the quality of resources; (4) have fish and wildlife habitats that

maintain viable populations the existing native vertebrate species and maintains or

improves habitat of management indicator species; and (5) construct a 1-acre grassed

wildlife opening. The remaining 182,000 board feet from the sale has a value of

$10,113. The purchaser for this timber sale was the same as Compartments 101, 105,

107, 114, and 115 (see above for related comments).

• Putnam and Jasper counties (Compartments 137, 139, 140, and 142): The purpose

was to (1) maintain a healthy forest not at risk to sudden or widespread change due

to insects, disease, or other agents; (2) provide for diversity of plant and animal

communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) protect and

improve the quality of renewable resources; (4) protect and improve the habitat of

threatened and endangered plant and animal species; and (5) construct 5 acres of

wildlife openings. The remaining 1,576,000 board feet from the sale has a value of

$226,132. The purchaser estimated that about 50 percent of their business was from

harvesting national forest timber.

• Greene County (Compartment 181): The purpose was to (1) provide a high level of

renewable resource outputs for wildlife habitat and timber products; (2) improve the

quality of resources; (3) provide a diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species; (4) maintain a healthy forest; (5) have viable populations at the forest level of

existing native vertebrate and desired non-native species and maintenance or

improvement of the habitat of management indicator species; and (6) construct 4

acres of wildlife openings. The remaining 467,000 board feet from the sale has a

value of $9,660. The purchaser said that amount of its business from harvesting

national forest timber was minimal.

• Greene and Oglethorpe counties (Compartments 166, 167, 168, 172, 175, 176, 179, 182,

183, 184, 185, 187, 188, and 191): The purpose was to (1) have successful

regeneration; (2) prevent overstocking of loblolly pine seedlings in the stands; (3)

reduce the threat of diseases and insect infestations; (4) increase the availability of

light, nutrients, and water for the residual stand; (5) improve wildlife habitat; and (6)

improve diversity. The remaining 955,000 board feet from the sale has a value of

$293,475. The purchaser estimated that about 4 percent of its business was from

harvesting national forest timber.
Enclosure I

22 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

• Putnam County (Compartments 144 and 145): The purpose was to (1) maintain a

healthy forest not at risk to sudden or widespread change due to insects, disease, or

other agents; (2) provide for diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) protect and improve the quality of

renewable resources; (4) protect and improve the habitat of threatened and

endangered plant and animal species; and (5) construct 5 acres of wildlife openings.

The remaining 2,212,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $97,147. The

purchaser for this sale was the same as Compartments 101, 105, 107, 114, 115, 161,

162, and 163 (see above for related comments).

• Putnam County (Compartments 146, 149, and 150): The purpose was to (1) maintain

a healthy forest not at risk to sudden or widespread change due to insects, disease, or

other agents; (2) provide for diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) protect and improve the quality of

renewable resources; (4) protect and improve the habitat of threatened and

endangered plant and animal species; and (5) construct of 3 acres of wildlife

openings. The remaining 1,661,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $156,179.

The purchaser for this sale was the same as Compartments 137, 139, 140, and 142 (see

above for related comments).

Trail Construction

• Greene County (involving 10 miles of trails, located 9 miles north of Greensboro):

The purpose was to reconstruct an old horse trail and construct a new trail. Failure

to implement this project would result in soil and water issues and sediment

concerns not being addressed, according to a Forest Service official. This project

also included the construction of parking facilities to provide more convenience and

access to the public.

• Jones County (involving 10 miles of trails, six miles south of Hillsboro): The purpose

was to construct a trail for all-terrain vehicles. A total of $ 56,000 in federal funds

made available under the Transportation Enhancement Act for the 21st Century was

lost as result of the project's suspension.

Shooting Range

• Putnam County (involving 4-6 acres, 7 miles southwest of Eatonton): The purpose

was to provide a facility for shooting enthusiasts in the Putnam County area.

• Greene County (involving 7 acres, 8 miles northwest of Greensboro): The purpose

was to construct a facility to ensure public safety.
Enclosure I

23 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Timber Stand Improvement

• Greene, Jasper, Jones and Putnam counties (involving 402 acres): The purpose was

to free a selected crop tree from competing vegetation that was surrounding or

overtopping vegetation. A small business contract totaling $10,450 was cancelled as a

result of the project’s suspension.

Tallulah Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Rabun County (Compartment 32): The purpose was to (1) provide for the sustained

yield of products and services resulting from multiple-use management; (2) manage

for a diversity of plant and animal communities and tree species to meet multiple-use

objectives; (3) manage for the production of high-quality saw-timber; and (4) provide

the public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and other opportunities to enjoy

wildlife. The remaining 358,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $17,794. The

purchaser estimated that about 75 percent of their business was from harvesting

National Forest timber. The purchaser obtained additional timber to replace the

volume contained in the suspended sale in order to continue to supply its mills. In

addition, the purchaser has a claim against the Forest Service.

• Rabun County (Compartment 5): The purpose was to (1) emphasize a sustained high

annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources (including timber

products and wildlife habitat); (2) manage for the production of high-quality

hardwood and pine saw-timber size trees; (3) provide a diverse and productive

habitat for wildlife and fish, clean water and air, recreation opportunities, valuable

wood products, and long-term stability of the ecosystem; (4) provide the public with

a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities for enjoying

wildlife; and (5) provide for the diversity of plant and animal communities and tree

species to meet multiple-use objectives. The remaining 1,694,000 board feet from the

sale has a value of $209,533. This sale was one of the sales subject to the original

litigation. The purchaser estimated that about 30 percent to 50 percent of their

business was from harvesting National Forest timber. The purchaser has filed a

claim against the Forest Service for lost revenue because it was forced to use white

and red oak in its mill in lieu of the white pine, completed roadwork, and had

bonding costs.

• Rabun County (Compartment 59): The purpose was to (1) emphasize a sustained

high annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources (including

timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide for diversity of plant and animal

communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (3) manage fish and

wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and

to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species; (4) provide the

public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to
Enclosure I

24 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

enjoy wildlife; and (5) manage for the production of high-quality hardwood and pine

saw-timber size trees. The remaining 1,292,000 board feet from the sale has a value of

$169,428. This sale was one of the sales subject to the original litigation. The

purchaser for this compartment was the same as Compartment 32 (see above for

related comments).

Camp Site Renovation

• Rabun County (involving 40 acres, 15 miles northwest of Clayton): The purpose was

to address existing soil and water issues. Sedimentation resulting from heavy public

use was causing resource degradation and lessening the recreation experience for

users. Plans were to close some existing camping sites and to develop new ones in

areas that would have less impact on Sarah’s Creek.

Prescribed Burning

• Rabun County (involving 4,156 acres): The purpose was to reduce the risks of

wildfire and restore the Table Mountain Pine species.

Wildlife Opening Maintenance

• Rabun County (involving 8 acres, 10 miles northeast of Clayton): The purpose was to

improve wildlife habitat and remove rough for discing.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Rabun County (involving 325 acres): The purpose was to free a selected crop tree

from competing vegetation that was surrounding or over-topping vegetation. A small

business contract totaling $19,500 was cancelled as a result of the project’s

suspension.

Toccoa Ranger District

Timber Sale Projects

• Fannin County (Compartments 646, 647, 665, and 666): The purpose was to (1)

emphasize a sustained high-level annual or regular periodic output of various

renewable resources; (2) provide a sustained yield of products and services resulting

from multiple-use management; (3) manage for the production of high-quality

hardwood and pine saw-timber size trees; (4) provide diversity of plant and animal

communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (5) manage fish and

wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and

to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species; (6) provide the

public with a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to

enjoy wildlife; and (7) construct 3 wildlife openings. The remaining 864,000 board
Enclosure I

25 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

feet from the sale has a value of $113,889. We were unsuccessful in contacting the

purchaser to discuss the impact.

• Fannin County (Compartment 617): The purpose was to (1) provide a sustained yield

of products and services resulting from multiple-use management and emphasize a

sustained high level annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide a diversity of plant and

animal communities and tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; and (3) manage

fish and wildlife habitats to maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate

species and to maintain and improve the habitat of management indicator species.

The remaining 611,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $88,311.

• Gilmer County (Compartments 673 and 698): The purpose was to (1) emphasize a

sustained high level annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide for a sustained yield of

products and services; (3) manage for the production of high-quality hardwood and

pine saw-timber size trees; (4) provide diversity of plant and animal communities and

tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (5) manage fish and wildlife habitats to

maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and to maintain and

improve the habitat of management indicator species; and (6) provide the public with

a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to enjoy wildlife.

The remaining 523,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $33,634. We were

unsuccessful in contacting the purchaser to discuss the impact.

• Fannin County (Compartment 621): The purpose was to (1) emphasize a sustained

high level annual or regular periodic output of various renewable resources

(including timber products and wildlife habitat); (2) provide a sustained yield of

products and services; (3) manage for the production of high-quality hardwood and

pine saw-timber size trees; (4) provide diversity of plant and animal communities and

tree species to meet multiple-use objectives; (5) manage fish and wildlife habitats to

maintain viable populations of the native vertebrate species and to maintain and

improve the habitat of management indicator species; and (6) provide the public with

a wide range of hunting, fishing, and nonconsumptive opportunities to enjoy wildlife.

The remaining 258,000 board feet from the sale has a value of $21,892. We were

unsuccessful in contacting the purchaser to discuss the impact.

Prescribed Burning

• Union and Fannin counties (involving 4,445 acres): The purpose was to reduce the

risk of wildfires and improve wildlife habitat.
Enclosure I

26 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Wildlife Opening Development

• Lumpkin County (involving 3 acres, 12 miles northwest of Dahlonega): The purpose

was to develop an opening to provide diversity and produce a nutritional

supplemental food source for the local habitat.

• Fanin County (involving 3 acres, 16 miles southeast of Blue Ridge): The purpose was

to develop an opening to provide diversity and produce a nutritional supplemental

food source for the local habitat.

Timber Stand Improvement

• Fannin County (involving 450 acres): The purpose was to free a selected crop tree

from competing vegetation that is surrounding or overtopping vegetation. A small

business contract totaling $27,000 was cancelled as a result of the project’s

suspension.
Enclosure II

27 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Timber Cut and Sold From the National Forests in Alabama,

Florida, and Georgia, Fiscal Years 1996 Through June 2000

The national forests in Alabama, Florida, and Georgia experienced a decrease in the

amount of timber cut and sold for fiscal years 1996 through June 2000.

Board feet in thousands

1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 (through

State June)

Sold Cut Sold Cut Sold Cut Sold Cut Sold Cut

Alabama 47,890 65,027 26,464 31,364 28,522 32,694 13,279 19,449 3,804 14,910

Florida 48,782 35,830 35,729 32,295 42,656 51,229 22,451 26,148 20,461 22,097

Georgia 34,920 40,006 11,244 27,089 19,628 13,750 3,782 9,263 335 716

Subtotal 131,592 140,863 73,437 90,748 90,806 97,673 39,512 54,860 24,600 37,723

Total for

the

Southern

Region 678,160 847,349 606,612 571,596 667,299 636,749 406,635 594,761 294,415 360,652

Source: GAO’s presentation of data provided by the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office.
Enclosure III

28 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

25-Percent Payments From Timber Receipts to Counties in Georgia and

Alabama, Fiscal Years 1996 Through 1999

The following two tables present the funds counties in Georgia and Alabama received

from the 25-percent payments that are based on the amount of national forest acreage in

each county.

Table III.1: 25-Percent Payments From Timber Receipts to Counties in Georgia,

by National Forest, Fiscal Years 1996 Through 1999

National forest and

county

1996 1997 1998 1999

Chattahoochee National Forest

Banks $502 $386 $208 $87

Catoosa 5 4 2 1

Chattooga 14,973 11,520 6,216 2,592

Dawson 5,220 4,016 2,167 904

Fannin 81,913 63,036 34,014 14,184

Floyd 5,113 3,934 2,122 885

Gilmer 42,361 32,290 17,424 7,266

Gordon 6,236 4,798 2,589 1,080

Habersham 30,780 23,688 12,782 5,330

Lumpkin 43,970 33,829 18,254 7,612

Murray 39,383 30,509 16,462 6,865

Rabun 114,860 88,400 47,717 19,899

Stephens 17,995 13,845 7,471 3,115

Towns 44,430 34,183 18,445 7,692

Union 75,566 58,140 31,372 13,083

Walker 14,551 11,195 6,041 2,519

White 31,853 24,511 13,239 5,527

Whitfield 9,049 6,962 3,757 1,567

Subtotal $578,760 $445,246 $240,282 $100,208

Oconee National Forest

Greene $59,122 $39,472 $11,354 $38,530

Jasper 63,360 42,315 12,172 41,298

Jones 34,793 23,229 6,682 22,675

Monroe 534 356 102 348

Morgan 916 611 176 597

Oconee 335 224 64 218

Oglethorpe 8,029 5,361 1,542 5,233

Putnam 79,372 52,992 15,243 51,727

Subtotal $246,461 $164,560 $47,335 $160,626

Total $825,221 $609,806 $287,617 $260,834

Source: GAO’s presentation of data from the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office.
Enclosure III

29 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Table III.2: 25-Percent Payments From Timber Receipts to Counties in Alabama,

by National Forest, Fiscal Years 1996 Through 1999

National forest and county 1996 1997 1998 1999

Bankhead National Forest

Franklin $2,264 $1,351 $1,780 $1,251

Lawrence 166,643 99,475 131,085 92,065

Winston 164,536 97,998 129,137 90,696

Subtotal $333,443 $198,824 $262,002 $184,012

Conecuh National Forest

Covington $708,238 $136,482 $ 84,629 $22,915

Escambia 379,250 73,084 45,316 12,270

Subtotal $1,087,488 $209,566 $129,945 $35,185

Talladega National Forest

Bibb $93,059 $86,668 $115,523 $63,442

Calhoun 36,232 33,700 44,921 24,711

Cherokee 3,483 3,240 4,318 2,371

Chilton 35,106 32,884 43,832 24,071

Clay 98,103 91,592 122,087 67,047

Cleburne 146,899 137,033 182,658 100,310

Dallas 3,247 3,020 4,025 2,211

Hale 43,593 40,547 54,046 29,680

Perry 50,137 46,633 62,162 34,136

Talladega 68,523 65,169 87,057 47,809

Tuscaloosa 16,341 15,199 20,259 11,125

Subtotal $594,723 $555,685 $740,888 $406,913

Tuskegee National Forest

Macon $34,224 $344 $2 $1,030

Total $2,049,878 $964,419 $1,132,837 $627,140

Source: GAO’s presentation of data from the Forest Service’s Southern Regional Office.
Enclosure IV

30 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects

Comments From the U.S. Department of Agriculture
Enclosure IV

31 GAO-01-51R Forest Management Projects
Orders by Internet

For information on how to access GAO reports on the Internet, send an e-mail message

with “info” in the body to

info@www.gao.gov

or visit GAO’s World Wide Web home page at

http://www.gao.gov

To Report Fraud, Waste, and Abuse

in Federal Programs

Web site: http://www.gao.gov/fraudnet/fraudnet.htm

E-mail: fraudnet@gao.gov

Automated answering system: 1-800-424-5454